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Bracks Refuses Bushfire InquiryThe Bracks Government has refused a request from the Liberal Party to establish an inquiry into the factors that led to the January bushfires, in particular the Grampians and Moondarra fires. By Phillip Davis - 13th February 2006 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said the Liberal Party requested the Government select a six member committee to determine the level of severity of the bushfires and all counter measures that were taken to minimize the damage resulting from the bushfires.
The committee would also recommend appropriate measure to be taken in the future regarding fire precautions, fire response and fire recovery.
"Unfortunately for all the victims of the January bushfires, the Bracks Government has again disregarded their plight by rejecting this inquiry," Mr Davis said.
"Victorians can only interpret this action as the Bracks Government having something to hide.
"In my motion to the Parliament, I requested that a number of circumstances be investigated, terms of reference be advertised and submissions called from the public.
"This would give those bushfire ravaged communities a voice.
"But the Bracks Government is not interested in giving these devastated communities an avenue to communicate the hardships they have endured and the circumstances they believe lead to this event."
Mr Davis said the devastation caused to communities and particularly individuals by these events could not be understood by those who have not experienced it.
"I suspect that the great majority of people who live in our concrete jungles, our urban communities, who have never sighted either a bushfire or the aftermath of a bushfire can have no intelligent conception of what these events mean for rural communities," he said.
"Nevertheless, I know many people in the cities who see the vision of these events on television for a moment at least reflect on the power of nature.
"Unfortunately, though, this does not translate through a proper public policy process to ensuring we have the commitment in government and in government agencies required to minimise the impact of what are in most cases natural events.
"It is this reason why an inquiry is so important.
"Something positive must come from these bushfires, and without adequate analysis into the events that took place, the Bracks Government cannot possibly put strategies in place to minimise the impact of further bushfires into the future.
"To ignore this opportunity is pure arrogance."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: support@gippsland.com
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